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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000739">Fruits Basket</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitalovesme/pseuds/kitalovesme'>kitalovesme</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst with a Happy Ending, Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Minor Original Character(s), Sexual Tension, slowburn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 11:14:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,555</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29000739</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitalovesme/pseuds/kitalovesme</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>you and kita have known each other since you were six years old. the two of you have always gotten along great, but you soon realized that you'd perhaps want something more than friendship with him.</p><p>fast forward to the third and final year of your time at inarizaki high, whereas the 'crush' that you've had on him that would 'ultimately pass' has only gotten stronger. you feel pressured, as your final school year with him will soon be over, and you desperately want to let him know how you feel. however, you fear of ruining an already perfect friendship by confessing, and even worse, him not feeling the same way about you is holding you back.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kita Shinsuke/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. PROLOGUE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>sorry if there are any grammatic errors or mistakes! english isn't my first language. <br/>other than that, i hope you enjoy the story :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS?” you asked your grandmother, only to get a soft laughter in response. She squeezed your hand playfully as the two of you continued your walk. </p><p>“Why not, Y/N-chan?” she cooed, swinging your hand intertwined with hers. You sighed, not even the strawberry flavored lollipop she’d bought for you, most likely as a bribe, could enlighten your mood. The summer air was horribly hot that day. You’d quite recently turned six years old, and following the summer break you’d finally get to experience the first ever day of school. Or well, not finally. You actually dreaded that day. Spending the entire day surrounded by loud, annoying kids you didn’t even know, and even worse, being expected to befriend them? </p><p>The two of you were on the way to the home of one of your grandmother’s best friends, Yumie. You’d met her once before, and sure, she was sweet. A normal, old lady. She’d offered you some lemonade and butterfinger cookies, which you only accepted after she’d insisted.</p><p>“I mean, why did I have to come?” you asked, attempting to give your grandmother a good view of your frown. She laughed once again, keeping her gaze steady ahead. </p><p>“I already told you, Y/N-chan,” she sang, “Yumie and her grandson are so excited to meet you!” </p><p>You grunted. The only reason as to why she’d brought you along in the first place was because of some weird grandson of Yumie’s. Your grandmother had claimed that you two were alike in the sense that you, well. You didn’t exactly have a lot of friends. </p><p>“I don’t care about her grandson,” you declared. Your grandmother laughed again, strangely amused by your stubbornness. “It’s healthy for you to socialize with others, Y/N-chan. He’ll make a great friend, I’m sure of it,” she reassured. </p><p>You scoffed, “I have tons of friends!” you protested. Your grandmother let out a jolly laugh, as she released your hand only to grab your shoulders instead. “Your stuffed animals don’t count,” she said. You grunted. </p><p>She squeezed your shoulders. “Come on now, Y/N-chan. Just do it for me, will you?” she asked. You suddenly felt kind of guilty, sighing deeply. “Okay,” you responded. </p><p>Once you and your grandmother had finally reached Yumie’s residence, the two older women were overthrown with joy to meet each other.</p><p>“Yumie-san!” your grandmother greeted, throwing her hands out. The old friends held each other in a tight, friendly embrace. You didn’t exactly know how to act, so you ultimately decided to just stand there on the porch, praying that the display of affection would be over soon. </p><p>“It’s so good to see you again!” exclaimed your grandmother, laughing joyfully. You found yourself staring down at your feet, suddenly feeling the nervousness your body had neglected before. </p><p>“Come in, come in!” Yumie encouraged, waving her hands for you and your grandmother to enter. You glanced up at your grandmother, as he didn’t so much as hesitate to walk through the open door. You sighed, as you finally accompanied her inside. </p><p>“Y/N-chan!” exclaimed Yumie, gazing at you with shimmering, dark eyes. “My, how you’ve grown!”</p><p>You forced yourself to smile, as her familiar, bitter sweet honeydew scent struck your nose. Yumie reached over to pinch your cheek, which you didn’t resist. You reminded yourself why you were doing this.</p><p>“Where’s Kita-kun?” asked your grandmother, curiously searching around the room. Yumie smiled gently. She turned, exposing the right half of a young boy, clutching her leg for cover. You lost your breath when you saw him.</p><p>Yumie gently shoved him further, so that you could get a view of his full body. His stance was kind of awkward, but still managed to pass as polite. He stood with his stomach pouted out, hands behind his back. His hair was light gray and short, the tips dipped with pure obsidian. You gazed into his dull, walnut eyes beneath his furrowed brows. </p><p>“Don’t be so shy, Shinsuke-kun.” said Yumie, causing the boy to sigh heavily. Your heart raced as he slowly raised his chin, meeting your gaze with his.</p><p>“My name is Kita Shinsuke,” he greeted. You nodded, lowering your eyes to the floor once again. “I’m L/N F/N.”</p><p>EVEN THOUGH you two didn’t exchange many words, you found yourself to be comfortable with the silence. You’d spent an amount of time beyond measurement with him, drawing, reading, playing. Now, the two of you found yourselves in Yumie’s garden in the small, compressed backyard. </p><p>You’d followed Kita out, gasping as you laid eyes on the amount of different vegetation growing all around. Fuzzy peaches, red and yellow fuji apples, satonishiki cherries, mandarins … </p><p>“Woah,” you murmured, “Your grandmother grew all this herself?” </p><p>Kita walked over to a planter box, seemingly containing growing carrots. He smirked slightly, “I helped her plant most of the seeds,” he claimed. </p><p>You nodded, impressed with the boy. “That’s so cool!” you exclaimed.</p><p>Kita chuckled, “You think so?” he asked. You soon realized how out of place that exclamation was. You took a deep breath, “Well, yeah…” you murmured. You felt blood quickly rushing to your face, cowering by looking down at the ground.</p><p>Kita got up on his feet again, seemingly approaching you with hesitating steps. You hadn’t noticed that he was holding an empty picnic basket until he was standing right in front of you. </p><p>“For you,” he handed you the basket. You looked up quickly again, blinking in surprise, “Why?” you got out, despite the sudden chock. He suddenly struggled with holding his gaze on your eyes. Kita’s cheeks took on a rosy color as he looked to the side.</p><p>“Take any fruits you want from here and take them home with you,” he muttered. You accepted the basket with widened eyes, “W-why…” you tried, attempting to form a somewhat comprehendible sentence. You swallowed hard. “Won’t your grandmother be angry?” you finally decided to ask.</p><p>Kita smiled softly, “I’m sure she won’t mind,” he said. You furrowed your eyebrows, staring down at the empty basket. “Why would you do this?” you asked, realizing that it sounded more accusing than you intended. </p><p>Kita met your gaze once again. He reached for your face with his hand, hesitating before he acted. The dullness in his eyes had been drained, now all that remained was a beautiful valley of hickory. Kita brushed your cheek with two of his fingers. The sensation made your heart skip a beat, even though the contact barely lasted for a second. </p><p>“My grandmother tells me that good people will be rewarded by the gods sooner or later,” he began, “I may not be a god, and fruits may not be riches.”</p><p>You stared ahead, trying to capture his wandering gaze once again to see the beauty of his dark eyes.</p><p>“But please accept this gift as a token of my friendship, Y/N-san.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. CHAPTER TWO</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>kita leaves you beyond worried after disappearing without a trace, not responding to any of your messages or calls. the entire day has been dreading long and boring without him, until a certain trio makes their entrance.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sound of loud students chattering and laughing echoed through the walls of the school cafeteria. You bounced your leg underneath the table absentmindedly, tapping your fingernails on the cool steel of your tray. Ever you’d left your home for school, an uneasy feeling had rested heavily upon your shoulders. You’d walked the entire distance to school alone, not having met up with Kita halfway, like you always did. He hadn’t responded to your messages, so naturally, you were worried. Your overthinking made this situation way worse than it had to be. What if he didn’t care for you anymore? He decided that this daily routine of yours was dumb, and that just walking to school from his house would be way faster than to meet up with you by the town plaza? You didn’t so much as dare to think about that scenario. </p><p>Simultaneously enjoying and dreading the silence by your empty table, you quietly hummed the melody of your favorite song to yourself, slightly moving your head to the rhythm. </p><p>“I hate that song,” said a voice from behind you. You flinched, startled upon hearing the sudden dialogue. Turning around, you were met by the gazes of three familiar pairs of eyes. You furrowed your brows upon seeing the smirking faux blonde. </p><p>“Hmph,” was your only response. You turned back around, once again facing the table. </p><p>“Don’t be like that, ‘Tsumu!” scolded Asumu, slapping his brother on the nape of his neck. Though you couldn’t see the occurrence with your eyes, the sounds were more than enough to make you smirk. Suna and Osamu seated themselves across from you, with Atsumu on your right. </p><p>You kept your gaze steady on your half empty tray before you, letting your thoughts drag you into a state of complete absence from reality. You stayed like this for a few seconds, unable to move or think about anything else. Only him…</p><p>“Are you okay, Y/N-san?” asked Osamu, pulling you back from your thoughts. You shook your head, meeting his big, ashy eyes with your own. You swallowed hard as you stared at him in silence, brows raised. Say something, you fool. He must think you’re insane, were your exact thoughts at that instant. Tell him that you’re fine. You’re just stressed about school, it is your third and final year of school, after all. Ask about Kita - or don’t. What if he figures it out? And if he tells Atsumu and Suna … they would be insufferable. Atsumu and his big trout would probably tell Kita before the sun had set. Before the bell for the next period had rang. Your life would be completely over, you’d have to transfer schools, and-</p><p>“Do you need to go see the nurse, Y/N-san?” asked Suna. Suddenly, the three volleyball players' gazes were all on you, stressing you out. </p><p>You managed to force a smile to your lips, “I’m fine!” you exclaimed. You stared down again, “Just stressed.”</p><p>The lie seemed to have convinced them, as the teammates returned to once again eating their lunch. You clenched your fists, observing them as you gathered the courage to ask them such a simple, casual question. One that definitely wouldn’t raise any other questions. Or maybe you underestimated their ability to connect dots? </p><p>You blew out a frustrated breath. Why must you always complicate things like this, you thought to yourself. You put on a casual expression, raising your brows as you prepared.</p><p>“Where’s Kita?” you asked, blinking hard. Without even casting a glance your way, Osamu answered your question, “I think he’s with Ojiro-san,” he said. You nodded, relieved. See? That wasn’t so hard. You laughed at yourself on the inside. Although that joy was short lived, as Osamu apparently wasn’t done speaking.</p><p>“Why?” he asked. </p><p>Your gaze met the top of his dyed gray head, as his face was still buried deep in his plate. </p><p>“Oh, uhm,” you muttered. You cleared your throat to avoid sounding like a crow with rocks in its lungs. “Well, he hasn’t responded to any of my messages. I was just wondering if … anything had happened to him.” you claimed. Technically, you weren’t lying. You were just leaving out bits of the truth.</p><p>You gained eye contact with Osamu again. “Oh, okay.” he said, seemingly convinced, to your relief. </p><p>Atsumu laughed from beside you, “Don’t be such a worry-wart, Y/N. Kita-san’s fine! As fine as ever, in fact. He was weirdly energetic at morning practice today,” he reassured. You nodded, sighing lightly. </p><p>Then why wouldn’t he respond?</p><p>DURING THE REST OF THE DAY, you’d somehow managed to both look everywhere for Kita at the same time as you avoided a potential confrontation. But you knew that you couldn’t keep this up forever, though. In fact, you couldn’t keep this up for more than two hours. After an excessive amount of annoying nagging from Atsumu, you’d finally agreed to come to their practice this afternoon to see his and Osamu’s new minus tempo attack. If Atsumu was telling the truth, Kita would most likely be there. Now you found yourself standing before a crossroad.</p><p>Either, you find Kita right now and straight up ask him why he’d ignored you. Or, you continue avoiding him for the rest of the day, attend their practice and somehow come up with a disguise that makes you unrecognizable within two hours. You sighed, hearing the ridiculousness of your second option. Despite your hatred for confrontation, you realized what you must do.</p><p>You sighed. Life sure has a way of pushing your worst revulsions right up in your face over and over again, doesn’t it? You turned around, clutching your books tightly in your grasp. You almost dropped them when you were met with a certain gray haired volleyball captain standing right before you. Flinching dramatically, you offered him a stare of terror. </p><p>“Did I startle you, Y/N?” he asked. You gazed with widened eyes into his warm, dark orbs. Swallowing hard, you were speechless. </p><p>“Kita-san?” you asked, the dryness in your throat heavily impacting your cracking voice. </p><p>He offered a slight, soft smile. “Can I talk to you for a second, Y/N-san?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. CHAPTER THREE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>YOUR HEART HAD never beaten this hard ever before. With shaky, cautious steps, you followed Kita as he led you to an empty classroom. You swallowed hard, clenching your clammy palms together as you tried to keep yourself together. Kita’s back was the only part of him that was visible, and you observed him carefully as he walked a few steps ahead of you. Stress and fear were playing on your nerves as if they were keys on a piano, as if you had the biggest math test in your entire life coming up. </p><p>Kita stopped suddenly by a closed door in the long hallway. He turned the handle to the side, opening the door and popping his head inside of the room to see whether it was available for the two of you to use unbothered. After he’d glanced around, he waved his hand for you to follow him.</p><p>“In here,” he said.</p><p>You blew out a quick breath, nodding slightly as you stepped towards the open door. Kita stood stationed by it, holding the door open with his left arm while you entered. A wave of panic washed over you as you walked past him in the narrow doorway. For only a second, the two of you were so close that you were almost touching. Almost.</p><p>A quick whiff of lemon soap and peppermints struck your nose as you passed by him. The smell almost felt unfamiliar, as if you hadn’t felt it in a long while. It was a shame, though. The scent made you feel like home, it was loaded with nostalgia and warm memories that made butterflies flutter wildly in your stomach. It was home.</p><p>After you’d awkwardly entered the room, you let your gaze wander around the room as the sound of a door closing echoed through the classroom.  You debated on whether you should take a seat or remain standing. That really depended on what he wanted to speak about and how long you’d have to stay in here. Had you not been 99% sure of the fact that he was going to ditch you as a friend, you’d been absolutely thrilled to have a moment alone with him. That he wanted to talk to you, even better, in private. You took a deep breath.</p><p>“What did you want to talk about, Kita-san?” you asked, turning clumsily on your heel. Your gaze was met by his, and like always, his expression was uninterpretable.  Was he happy? Sad? Angry? Hell if you knew. You could only hope for the best.</p><p>Kita looked you up and down for a second, not exactly calming your raging nerves. You stared at him with widened eyes, awaiting an action on his behalf.</p><p>Fortunately, he offered you a soft, warm smile after a few seconds. </p><p>“Please, take a seat,” he requested. You exhaled in relief, pulling out the chair closest to you by an empty desk. You took your seat quickly, and soon you began to drum your fingertips on the small table.</p><p>“I’m sorry for leaving you like that, Y/N,” he said quietly. Two things in that sentence caused your eyelids to expose your beautiful eyes as they glimmered in the afternoon sun. First of all, he called you Y/N. Not -san, not -chan, Y/N. That was highly uncommon, even for Kita. Most people don’t call others by just their names, unless you're close enough to the other to feel comfortable enough to do so. Secondly, he apologized. You suddenly felt quite silly for overthinking the situation to this extent.</p><p>“My phone was out of battery, and I haven’t been able to charge it until now,” he began, staring out the window on the western wall. Golden rays of sunlight painted his face so gracefully, you had to force your focus onto his words instead of his face.</p><p>“When I saw your message I felt really terrible, I hope I didn’t worry you too much, Y/N-san,” he said softly, turning his head in your direction.</p><p>You pursed your lips, tasting the strawberry chapstick you’d applied earlier. </p><p>“No,” you lied, “It’s fine. I promise you,” before you had the opportunity to halt your sentence, the word slipped out of your lips. “Kita,” you said carefully.</p><p>He glared at you once again, making you fear whether you’d made a mistake by calling him by just his name. </p><p>Your heart was just about to pop out of your chest when Kita lowered his head, showcasing a charming smile. You could do nothing but observe him.</p><p>“I’m glad to hear that,” he claimed, and to your horror (delight) he began to slowly step towards you. He chuckled, “Quite honestly, I figured you’d be mad.”</p><p>Kita reached the desk you were sitting at. You analyzed him, movement by movement, no matter how microscopical. He pulled a chair from the desk before yours, positioning it so that it was next to yours by the square desk. Kita sank down on the seat, his lips still hinting a slight smile.</p><p>You furrowed your brows, “I’m not mad, but I guess that I was kinda worried,” you told him, earning a small puff of air to leave his nostrils. His gentle, luminous eyes were practically glued to yours. Kita had that mischievous look about him at this moment, the one you would kill just to see once again. He exhaled then, bending over to loot through his bag. </p><p>“I know,” he claimed, “And I brought you something to make up for it.”</p><p>His dipped head rose again, as he proudly exhaled while looking at a small object in his hand. Kita’s gaze turned to you once again, his lips carrying a smile that could melt you right then and there.</p><p>The volleyball captain handed you the object he carried in his grasp. You stared at his extended hand for a second, before accepting his gift. Your fingers brushed against each other for almost an entire second, before he retreated his hand again.</p><p>You lowered your gaze to the gift Kita had offered you. Your heart filled with pure warmth upon realizing what it was.</p><p>A small, rectangular box labeled Chocoball lay in your palm. They were strawberry flavored, as stated on the box, next to the nostalgic illustration of the mascot parrot Kyorochan. To any other person, this was just candy. But to you, this was an artifact of your childhood. A symbol for your friendship with Kita.</p><p>When the two of you were kids, maybe seven or eight years old, Kita’s grandmother had allowed you to purchase something from a vending machine. But just one thing, so whatever it was, you’d have to share.</p><p>After an eternity of you and Kita bickering over what to choose, you suddenly noticed a colorful, petite box with a funny looking parrot on the front. </p><p>“Look!” you’d exclaimed, pointing at the box of candy from behind the glass. He’d only raised his eyebrows at the sight, ridiculously unimpressed by the sight.</p><p>“It’s a parrot.”<br/>You scoffed, “It’s candy! And look, it seems big enough for the two of us to share!”</p><p>Kita turned to the vending machine again, eyeing the pink box. “I suppose it is.”</p><p>You smiled widely upon finally reaching an agreement, “Do we pick the peanut or the strawberry flavour?” you’d asked Kita, causing him to purse his lips. </p><p>“Strawberry and chocolate?” he’d ridiculed, “What an odd combination.”</p><p>You restreated your gaze, lowering it to the ground beneath your feet. “I don’t know,” you muttered, “I kinda like odd combinations.”</p><p>Ever since then, the strawberry flavored chocoballs had just entered your life without announcement. The amount of boxes you and Kita had shared were uncountable, and you liked to think that there were more to include.</p><p>You stared at the box. Kita had even gone through the trouble of tying a red ribbon like the ones on wrapped gifts around the container. An inevitable joy curved your lips into a smile as you turned to Kita again. </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p>He returned your smile, “It was the least I could do.”</p><p>You exhaled softly, lowering your gaze once again.</p><p>A moment of comfortable silence followed. You barely noticed it, though. You were way too busy with thinking about how he really still cared for and about you. </p><p>“Say, Y/N-san, if you aren’t busy after school …” said Kita, causing you to raise your head again.</p><p>“Perhaps you’d like to come to our practice? Then I could walk you home to make up for this morning?” he proposed. </p><p>You snorted. “Atsumu-kun had the honor of asking me first, as a matter of fact,” you joked. Kita raised his brows, “Oh, he did, did he?” he cooed. </p><p>“Mhm,” you confirmed, sustaining his teasing tone. Kita sighed heavily, “Well, then. I suppose that he wouldn’t mind running a few extra laps after warm-up.”<br/>The comment made you laugh. Kita offered a gentle smile as he rose from his seat, pushing it back to the original desk. </p><p>He stepped over to the door once again, his movements coming to a halt just as he grasped the handle. Kita turned slightly, enough to get a good last look at you.</p><p>“Your laugh is ugly,” he mocked.<br/>“So is your face,” you shot back between laughs.</p><p>Kita gasped, attempting to appear offended. “Well, then,” he said, “I guess I’ll see you at practice.”</p><p>You tilted your head as you watched the white-haired senior by the doorway. “I guess you will.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. CHAPTER FOUR</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>you attend kita's volleyball practice, and to your surprise, he has something very important to tell you.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hiya!</p><p>please keep in mind that englidh isn't my native language, so please disregard any typos/weird grammar, thanks!!!!!</p><p>enjoy the chapter though, lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“NICE RECEIVE!” shouted Osamu, his voice echoing in the gym. Watching Inarizaki High’s volleyball team practice surely was an experience. Their talent was thoroughly expressed through their movement and plays, you could tell that they all possessed a burning passion for the sport. Their practice was now heading towards its end, with only ten or so minutes left. During occasional breaks, you’d take the opportunity to text your best friend, Kamiyama Yuna. </p><p>Ah, Yuna. Other than Kita, she was your dearest friend. Yuna was a girl with short, raven hair, and eyes the colour of pure obsidian. You considered her your other half, as she did with you. The only thing about Yuna was, the other boys in school all had eyes for her. You didn’t mind, of course. She was your best friend after all, and there was no reason to feel spite for her purely because she got male attention. It’s not like you could blame them, either. Yuna was perfect in every way. Great grades, loving household, and an irresistible charm. You often found yourself wondering how the hell Yuna managed to keep her grades steady while at the same time managing to look presentable and pampered at every moment. Surely, somewhere deep within you there was envy. But your love for her overpowered it in every way.</p><p>Other than texting Yuna, you’d observed with headphones on the entire time, listening to your favorite songs on repeat. Sometimes, one of the players would move on beat with the music, which you found quite entertaining. </p><p>The team was now engaged in a practice game against each other. Given the fact that they’d split into two groups, every player present at the practice was on court. Including Kita.</p><p>It was a shame that he never got as much play time as Atsumu or Aran. Sure, they were incredibly talented in their own ways, but Kita was too. He may not stand out very much, an average built student with good skills, but hey, he’d caught your eye. Watching him intently, analyzing every movement of his, no matter how microscopical, made you truly realize the talent he possessed. At the games you’d attended, he wasn’t on the court very often, so your attention tended to shift to the twins and Aran (and Kita by the side, of course). </p><p>Every now and then, you noticed a pair of big, sweet coffee eyes glancing up at you from the court. Occasionally, Kita offered a smirk with his gleeful gaze. The sight made your heart flutter every damn time, making you wonder if he knew that, hence why he did it.</p><p>You leaned forward on the steel railing before you, resting your chin on your hands. You gazed longingly at Kita. </p><p>ONCE THE PRACTICE WAS OVER, you found yourself waiting outside the gym. Bored, you scrolled absentmindedly through your phone. A heavy sigh left your lips, the heat of your breath releasing a cloud of white smoke in the cool, winter air. You checked the time on your phone, realizing that it’d been almost fifteen minutes since Kita and the others had entered the locker room. You grunted, contemplating on whether to just leave Kita a message and leave on your own. Sure, it was dark and scary. But you were convinced that if it wasn’t the boringness, the cold would take you down with it. </p><p>You shook your limbs, attempting to stay warm. Maybe leaving without him wasn’t such a gullible idea. Kita was a very neat character with a need to properly execute self care, he wouldn’t just put on some axe body spray and call it a day.</p><p>You sighed yet again. The phone felt heavy in your pocket, as you pulled it out to send him the message. </p><p>“Hey, Y/N-san!”</p><p>You turned swiftly upon hearing the familiar voice, drowned in warmth and kindness. A wave of relief surged through your body, leaving you with a warm feeling.</p><p>“Kita!” you exclaimed, as he made it down the steps. You examined him thoroughly, his damp hair, and the way he’d messily put on his Inarizaki High jacket. You furrowed your brows, “Did you shower?”</p><p>Kita let out a quick breath. “No, I didn’t want to keep you waiting. I’ll just shower at home. Why, is my odor that bad?”</p><p>Your eyebrows shot up. A chuckle escaped you, “No! You smell fine,” you claimed, sniffing the air. Somehow, Kita still smelled like a heavenly garden, the familiar, lovely scent that you’d gotten drunk on every passing day of your life. </p><p>“You smell … very fine, as a matter of fact.”</p><p>Kita raised his eyebrows, “Is that so?”</p><p>You exhaled. “Yeah. It’s not fair that you can sweat your ass off and come out smelling like heaven,” you murmured. Kita chuckled. A lovely, rare sound. </p><p>You tilted your head, trying to suppress the visible wave of ecstasy you felt from his laughter. “Just smell bad like the rest of us, Kita. You’re setting the bar way too high.”</p><p>Kita sighed heavily. “Should we get going? Aren’t you cold?” he asked, ignoring your recent comment. You lower your head, “Oh, uhm … Sure.”</p><p>Kita placed a steady hand on the curve of your back, gently guiding you forward. The unexpected sensation made your heart sink to your stomach. </p><p>For a long while, there was complete silence between the two of you. Barely the distant sound of birds chirping and cars running could be heard, the universe had fallen under silence to observe the two of you instead.</p><p>As you were closing in on your house, Kita took the opportunity to finally speak again.</p><p>“Y/N-san?” he asked carefully, keeping his gaze glued to the ground beneath his progressing steps. You turned to your friend. The moonlight bathed his messy hair in a silver shimmer, and you found it pitiful that you could not catch a glance at his dark eyes at this moment.</p><p>“Yes, Kita?” you responded. Kita licked his lips nervously, as if preparing to tell you something grave, something important that’d perhaps change your lives forever.   </p><p>“How long have we known each other?” <br/>You hesitated before answering. “Twelve years now, why?”</p><p>Kita lifted his head, staring straight ahead. “Twelve years is a very long time, wouldn’t you say?”</p><p>You raised your brows. “Yeah. But those days passed before I had the chance to blink twice.”</p><p>The corners of Kita’s lips curved, exposing a slight smirk. “I can tell you anything, can’t I?”</p><p>You suddenly felt uneasy about the situation, his tone, everything. You swallowed hard before facing him again. “Yeah … Of course you can, Kita. We’re friends, aren’t we?”</p><p>The next few seconds were silent. Only the symphony of your beating heart could be vaguely heard, as you dreadingly awaited for him to speak once again. It was silly, but you had a guess of what it was he wanted to tell you.<br/>Kita exhaled. “I think that I …”</p><p>Your eyes widened progressively, the anticipation was killing you slowly.</p><p>He took a deep breath before bluntly spitting it out, “I think that I’m in love.”</p><p>You swallowed hard. A million thoughts were plummeting through your mind, your brain being as cluttered as the desk in your bedroom. Kita turned to you, exposing his radiant dark eyes in the silver of the moonlight. His eyebrows were knitted together, like he was waiting for you to connect the dots.</p><p>You decided to act oblivious, for some reason. “Oh,” you breathed.</p><p>Kita looked down again. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed or anything, but lately, this feeling of ecstasy, this peculiar emotion has been affecting my behavior more than I’d like to admit.”</p><p>You breathed heavily, as if you’d just finished a marathon that lasted for almost twelve years. The feeling of triumph overtook your senses, but you were determined to play it cool.</p><p>“Really?” you asked. Kita nodded carefully.</p><p>“It’s just … I’m really happy that I can confide in you, Y/N-san.”</p><p>You felt a boost of serotonin unleash in your brain, “Of course.”</p><p>Kita smiled slightly at your response, “And I feel quite embarrassed about this…” he began, “But I’d be really grateful, should you help me with this.”</p><p>You were overthrown by joy. Your heart was beating so fast, you figured it’d pop out of your chest at any moment. You swallowed hard.</p><p>“Help you … how?” you decided to ask. </p><p>The question had Kita turning to you, eyebrows furrowed. “What do you mean? You’re best friends with Kamiyama-san, right?”</p><p>You halted your steps. As the realisation slowly got through to you, you felt your entire world cave in on you. Your senses were shattering, tears loaded with pure sorrow were threatening to make their entrance. Of course he liked Yuna. Who wouldn’t? She’s perfect in every way.</p><p>“Y/N-san?” asked Kita, a step or two before you.</p><p>Your gaze was empty, like the rest of you. </p><p>He turned fully, “Y/N-san, are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?” he asked, approaching you. Kita placed his palms underneath your elbows, gripping them gently. </p><p>You awoke from your thoughts. Desperately, you tried to suppress the absolute heartbreak that you’d just experienced. </p><p>“I’m sorry,” you murmured, “I just got confused.”</p><p>Kita furrowed his brows, “Are you sure that you’re okay? I can-”</p><p>“I’m fine,” you said, not realising the angry tone your voice had taken on before the words left your lips. “We’re almost at my house now.”</p><p>As bad as you felt about pushing Kita away like this, you required to be alone at this moment. You turned to him, desperately attempting to escape his glare that was searching for yours. “You should get home, Kita-san. Get some rest. I can walk this part by myself.”</p><p>Kita stared at you for a long moment. “Are you sure? It’s dark and you never know who’s out there-”</p><p>“No, it’s fine. I promise.”</p><p>You had to squeeze your eyes shut to avoid shedding a tear. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Kita-san.”</p><p>He nodded. You understood that he felt concerned at this moment, and you felt guilty about it. But you couldn’t bring yourself to care. As you turned to walk the distance alone, you felt as if you’d left behind a grave part of your life. Something that you never had in the first place, yet you’d still managed to lose it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. CHAPTER FIVE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>heartbroken, you reminisce over a few fond memories with kita, dreading the next day of school.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Deep breaths. Don’t cry. You’re not a crybaby. </p><p>You managed to breathe rhythmically as you entered the hall to your house. As you closed the door behind you, a deep inhale sounded quietly as you leaned against the shut door. Thankfully, your caregiver wasn’t home that night. You’d successfully avoided needing to carry a mask this evening, making small talk and pretending that everything was okay. You swallowed hard before pushing yourself off the door again.</p><p>You removed your sneakers before entering the house. Without hesitation, you headed for your room. You’d managed to keep a straight face ever since Kita told you about his feelings, and honestly, you were relieved to finally be standing in your own room again.</p><p>You shut the door behind you, and turned to face the empty, completely silent cluttered space. The silence spoke volumes. Was it comforting? Or was it degrading? You didn’t know. You threw yourself on top of your unmade bed, pressing your face into a pillow, clenched tightly in your grasp. At this moment, your top priority was to suppress the urge to scream. You could practically hear the melancholy symphony of your broken heart beating. Upon tightening your grip on the pillow, it came to you that the silence bothered you.</p><p>You pulled your phone out of your pocket. The brightness of your lockscreen blinded your eyes that had now gotten used to the darkness in your room. You unlocked the phone, and stared blankly at the homescreen. At the wallpaper you’d chosen to have, at the pair of luminous, peanut colored eyes staring gleefully back at you.</p><p>The picture was probably a few months old now - it’d been captured right after Kita had received his Inarizaki Jersey. His eyes and nose had turned heavily rosy after that practice, following the prideful tears he’d shed upon accepting the black and white jersey. You would never forget that look in his eye as he exited the gym - the way you stood in anticipation, waiting for him, never having been so proud than seeing the piece of fabric in his grasp. </p><p>Your eyebrows had shut up in pure joy. He’d welcomed your figure with open arms, and you’d taken a jolly leap towards him. The radiating warmth of his body spread to yours, and a fuzzy feeling overthrew you. He’d held you tightly, so very tightly, that every time you thought about that embrace, you found yourself wondering how you didn’t faint right then and there. The picture was captured by Suna only a few endearing moments later. The twins had teased both you and Kita; calling you lovebirds and such. Even though you’d told them to knock it off, you couldn’t deny the fact that it lowkey endeared you.</p><p>And now - why did it feel like all that was gone? You hadn’t lost him, had you? He was still your dearest friend, and you were still his. You felt stuck in a dilemma. Both Kita and Yuna held a very special place in your heart, and now, the only question remaining was whether your loyalty to both Yuna and Kita was stronger than your desire to be with him?</p><p>The screen of your phone had darkened; you’d been staring too long. Snapping out of your daydreaming, you tapped it once for the device to regain its blinding light. For a moment, you forgot why you’d opened the phone. To torture yourself by looking at the photo? To distract yourself from the world by scrolling endlessly through social media?</p><p>Yeah, the second option was looking really good right about now. </p><p>Well. That was until the first photo you saw was a selfie posted by Yuna. God, she was stunning. You smiled at your screen, unaware of the fact that a tear had now trailed down your cheek. It rained down on the screen of your phone, but you made no attempt to wipe it off. It seemed like a chore, you weren’t sure why.</p><p>You decided to skim through a few old messages, maybe that would cheer you up. Kita’s name was on top of your list. You pressed his name, viewing the messages you’d exchanged the week before. It was the morning after you’d left school with a terrible migraine.</p><p>[KITA SHINSUKE - 9.43 AM]<br/>Hey, sleepyhead. You up yet?</p><p>[L/N F/N - 9.45 AM]<br/>of course I am!</p><p>[KITA SHINSUKE - 9.45 AM]<br/>Are you sure that it wasn’t the notification of my text message that woke you up?</p><p>[L/N F/N - 9.45 AM]<br/>… yes.</p><p>[KITA SHINSUKE - 9.43 AM]<br/>Tell me why I’m not surprised, Y/N-san.</p><p>[L/N F/N - 9.45 AM]<br/>well, since I’m up now …  what’s going on?</p><p>[KITA SHINSUKE - 9.45 AM]<br/>Look outside.</p><p>You’d furrowed your brows at his words. “Look outside?” you’d asked yourself. With a grunt, you forced yourself out of bed. Even the curtains weren’t enough to block out the bright rays of sunlight that bathed your room. You squinted, creating a slight opening in the blinds blocking the window. there, on the street, he was. A waving figure with white and black hair, carrying a grocery store bag in his other hand. Full of confusion, you opened your window fully.</p><p>“Kita-san?” you shouted.</p><p>He laughed, “Y/N-san.”</p><p>You furrowed your brows, leaning on the window sill. “Do you wanna come in?”</p><p>A few minutes later, Kita had entered your home. You were still dressed in your sleeping attire, but since it was Kita, you didn’t care. “What’s up, Kita-san?”</p><p>He showed himself to your kitchen, placing the bag on the top of the limestone counter. </p><p>“I won’t bother you,” he claimed, rooting through the plastic, white bag. “I just came to make sure that you were okay, and drop off a few things.”</p><p>You raised your eyebrows in chock. Kita’s kindness and generosity never failed to surprise you. </p><p>On the counter, he placed a lime, a bottle of fizzy raspberry beverage, some gum, and a box of chocoballs. You chuckled. “That’s so kind of you, Kita!” you exclaimed.</p><p>Kita scoffed softly, “Of course, Y/N-san.”</p><p>He picked up the lime, parading it before you, “I’ve heard that it’s good against headaches.”</p><p>You accepted the lime he offered you, not being able to restrain the smile curving your lips. </p><p>You analyzed the citrus fruit thoroughly in your grasp, as if it was a piece of intricate artwork. You found yourself so lost in it for some reason, that the dramatic flinch you displayed upon Kita’s palm making contact with your forehead almost caused you to drop the fruit. </p><p>You stared, eyes wide as he considered what to make out of your temperature.</p><p>“Are you feeling better today, Y/N-san?” he asked. The ability to produce had escaped you, leaving you as a stuttering idiot.</p><p>“Yes … much better,” you responded. You met his beautiful brown gaze. He flashed you a soft smile.</p><p>“You need to start taking better care of yourself, Y/N-san. You keep me up all night worrying about you,” he requested, a melancholy glimmer in his eye lighting up. Suddenly, you felt slightly guilty.</p><p>“Sorry about that…” you murmured, staring down at the floor beneath your feet. “I’ll be better.”</p><p>A moment of silence followed, until it was interrupted by Kita’s chuckle. He headed for the main door again. “You’re aware of the fact that it includes going to  bed at a reasonable hour and drinking water, aren’t you?” he cooed. You purse your lips.</p><p>“Yeah, thanks mom.” </p><p>He turned by the door. His expression was completely plain, until a slight smirk curved the corners of his slips. “I’m serious, you know. I don’t want you dead before you turn twenty, Y/N-san.”</p><p>He stared at you intently, as if you were a glimmering diamond, bathing the room with a radiating brightness. A precious, valuable thing that he could never bear losing.</p><p>But now, you felt as if he had. You exited the app, once again facing the devastating photo that only enlarged the clump in your gut. The sound of your ticking alarm clock stressed you out. </p><p>You were quick to open the playlist that he’d created for you during your first year of high school. Sure, it was quite cheesy as a whole. The songs were outdated, not exactly your taste. But listening to them brought you an euphoric high. Almost as if shutting your eyes, falling asleep to the bittersweet lyrics, to the soothing melodies, he was there with you. He loved you, and only you. You loved him, and you wanted nothing more than to be with  him. He loves you.</p><p>He loved you.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this chapter was quite short, but don't worry, i'll update much sooner.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. CHAPTER SIX</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>the events of the night before haunt you like a ghost, as you wake the next morning, realizing that you have indeed overslept. the entire day is dedicated to avoid kita, which may not be as easy as it seems.</p><p>(sorry i suck at summaries, tf is this lmfao)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>YOUR PEACEFUL SNORING was interrupted by a god-awful nuisance outside your bedroom window. You grunted of annoyance, attempting to drain out the rumbling by pressing your pillow over your head. Mornings definitely weren’t your best time of the day.</p><p>With a frustrated scoff, you shot up from your bed, stepping furiously towards the cracked window. Vulgar cursing shot out of your mouth as if it were a mini-gun as you slammed the window shut. A deep sigh left your lips, as you attempted to calm your untameable morning temper. </p><p>After a few relaxing breaths, you’d finally managed to wake up properly, thus letting reality sink into your skin. You sunk down to the edge of your bed, pondering over why it felt as if something was wrong. Sure, the night before had been rather excruciating and rough, but there was something bothering you. When you unlocked your phone, you realized why.</p><p>The notification's center of your phone had blown up. Several missed calls from Yuna, Atsumu, Osamu, Suna, and of course, Kita. Messages, facetime calls, practically every platform of social media that you were registered at had several notifications. It was wednesday. 9.04 AM on a wednesday. And here you were, smudged mascara surrounding your eyes, swollen eyes and tear stained cheeks. You sat still for a moment, allowing your current situation to sink in. You could not afford to miss a day of school at this point. Especially not because of something like this. You flexed your fingers, contemplating on what the actual hell you were supposed to do. You allowed a single word to slip out of your lips, that perfectly mirrored the situation you found yourself in at this moment, “Shit.”</p><p>As if a lever had been switched, you bounced off the bed once again, heading straight for the bathroom. Never had you ever been able to get ready this fast.</p><p>PANTING, you entered Inarizaki High School, ever so worried upon seeing the emptied hallways. You swallowed hard, breathing like a savage dog, sweating as if you’d just ran a marathon. As you forced your legs to carry you to your class, you realized something that you had not yet given a thought. Kita was going to be here. As you reached the shut door of your classroom, you spent precious seconds that you could not afford to waste hesitating before opening the door. </p><p>With a deep breath, you watched as the lively class discussion came to a silent state, every pair of eyes drawn to the tardy character in the doorway. You exhaled, flashing your classmates a faux smile. </p><p>Upon quickly scanning the room of confused students, you laid eyes on a giggling Atsumu, not even attempting to cover his amusement. Suna and Osamu watched you with raised brows, and then of course…</p><p>Kita. He glared at you with utmost relief in his eyes. You couldn’t bring yourself to stare at him for longer, so you lowered your gaze to the raven haired student smiling brightly at you. You returned Yuna’s gesture, taking your seat between her and Atsumu, in front of Kita. Thankfully, your teacher had not called you out in front of the whole class. Although, his lethal glare told you that he intended to dismiss you to detention. </p><p>With a sigh, you sunk down on the wooden chair, lightly tossing your bag onto the ground. </p><p>Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Atsumu lean closer to you from his own desk. “Classy,” he remarked with a sarcastic tone. You chuckled dryly. “Bite me.”</p><p>LIKE YOU HAD PREDICTED, your teacher was not remotely pleased with your tardiness. It looked like you weren’t going to attend any more of the volleyball team’s practices for quite a while, given the fact that you’d be occupied with detention.</p><p>And if that wasn’t enough, you, being as good at confrontation as you are, decided to avoid Kita for the rest of the day. That involved fleeing like a cartoon character every time you so much as saw him enter a room. You’d be lying, should you claim that acting in this manner didn’t gradually break what was left of your heart. From the look of his eye, you knew that he wished to speak with you. You found yourself constantly sighing in disappointment throughout the day, asking yourself why you were like you were. You -would- talk to him. Someday. When you were ready. For now, your biggest issue was deciding what to get from the vending machine.<br/>
You’d been staring through the glass for eternity, not being able to focus on the wrapped up goods and beverages. Your mind was somewhere else, occupied with someone it could not bring itself to let go.</p><p>“Y/N?” asked a voice from behind, startling you to the point of  you flinching dramatically.</p><p>You turned swiftly, eyes widened as you lay eyes on the silver haired outside hitter. You let out a relieved sigh, lowering your head.</p><p>“Osamu! You scared me,” you said, letting a low chuckle slip out. He echoed your nervous laughter.</p><p>“Sorry about that …” he apologized, “Would you like some coffee?”</p><p>You raised your chin again, only now noticing the two steaming cups in his hands. You nodded, perhaps with way too much enthusiasm as you practically snatched the cup from him. </p><p>“Oh! Be careful, its ho-” he tried, but you were already pouring the dark liquid into your mouth, which turned out to be a grave mistake.</p><p>Your eyes shot open as you let out an ungodly screech. “Holy shit!” you spat, quickly removing the cup from your lips. Osamu chuckled at you, as you fanned your mouth with your free hand.</p><p>“I told you,” he laughed. Once the burning sensation on your lower lip ceased, you exhaled. </p><p>“Are you alright? You’ve been acting … weird all day,” asked Osamu, eyeing you intently. You sighed heavily, staring down into your steaming cup. “I’m fine, just stressed.”</p><p>Osamu tilted his head, seemingly analyzing you. You’d seen that look in his eye before, and you didn’t like the sight of it now, when it was aimed at you.</p><p>“Don’t do that,” you snarled.<br/>
“Do what?”<br/>
“Read me like that!” you exclaimed, “I’ve seen you do it at your games, Osamu. I don’t appreciate being analyzed like a math problem.”</p><p>He chuckled again. A light, jolly sound. “Sorry. Habit,” he excused, pulling a laugh out of you too. He rubbed his neck with his free hand, staring at the ground beside you. “Kita-san’s worried about you, Y/N. He won’t stop staring at you when you’re around.”</p><p>Your smile faded upon hearing his name. “I- he what?”</p><p>“Well, you know Kita-san. It’s not like he’s much for chatting in any case, but when it’s about you, telling that something’s wrong isn’t very hard,” he began, “He barely said a word today. Is something going on between the two of you?”</p><p>You swallowed hard. “No … no, everything’s fine.”</p><p>Osamu exhaled in relief, followed by a low giggle. “Oh, great. He was really worried about you this morning you know, Y/N. Perhaps you should speak to him?”</p><p>You stayed silent, surveying the ground as Osamu continued to speak.</p><p>“Listen, I may not be great at reading Kita and all, but whatever it is that you guys have is special.”</p><p>Tears lined your eyes. Don’t cry now, damnit.</p><p>“I can tell how much he cares about you.”</p><p>You nodded, grateful for the conversation you’d had with Osamu. Yet dreading, because you knew something that he didn’t. You knew that however strong your friendship was, that was all it was. Friendship. He didn’t want to extend to the next level, not with you.</p><p>“Thank you, Osamu. It means a lot,” you affirmed, stepping away from the wing spiker. “And thanks for the coffee!”</p><p>WITH MELANCHOLY STEPS, you made your way back through the hallway after school had ended. Osamu’s words thundered in your ears, never giving you a second of rest. Your gaze was glued to the ground during your journey to the classroom where you were to spend two hours, catching up on the schoolwork you’d missed due to your tardiness. Technically, it wasn’t detention. And technically, you should be grateful that this opportunity had presented itself to you. So how come all you wanted to do at this moment was to lay down and die on this floor?</p><p>You sighed as you slid the door open, not bothering to acknowledge your teacher.</p><p>“Ah, Y/N-chan,” he greeted, as you made your way through the maze of desks and chairs, taking your place.</p><p>“I’m sure that you must not be thrilled to spend your afternoon like this, particularly not alone,” he claimed, tidying the books on his desk. “Which is why, I’m sure you’ll be joyous to find that a student of ours has offered to tutor you himself!”</p><p>Oh, great. Company.</p><p>Had your glare not been attached to the books before you, perhaps you would have noticed as your enigmatic tutor had entered the room. You kept your head down until the scent of his presence washed over you, and your heartbeat was everything but even.</p><p>Lemon soap and peppermints. </p><p>You slowly but surely raised your gaze, eyes widening gradually. </p><p>There he stood. Proud posture, plain expression. </p><p>“Kita…?” you asked, utterly astonished. </p><p>The ghost of a smirk played on his lips. “Hello, Y/N-san.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. CHAPTER SEVEN</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>kita uses detention as an opportunity to speak to you about a proposal on his hand.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>THE SOUND OF A CLOCK ticking rhythmically was the only sound in the room. That, and the nervous clicking of your pen. The teacher sat with his feet prepped up on the cluttered escritoire, as you yourself shared a smaller desk with Kita. His eyes were scanning your homework thoroughly, top to bottom, paper after paper. The situation had yet to sink in, as your heart was still racing as it had the moment you laid eyes on him. Occasionally, you would catch a glance of him as he focused on reviewing your work.</p><p>It was a glorious sight. The way that the afternoon sun bathed in his eyes, melting them to pools of golden chocolate. His hair glimmered in the lightning, and no matter how hard you tried, you could not for the life of you find a single flaw in his features.</p><p>“Do I have something on my face?” he asked at last, stare remaining on the papers in his hand. You woke from your dreaming, realizing that your staring perhaps wasn’t the most discreet thing in the world.</p><p>“No-” you exclaimed, with a far louder volume in your voice than necessary. Upon the sudden burst, your teacher glanced up at you from behind his book. You cringed, shaking your head.</p><p>“Uh, I mean,” you said, lowering your voice, “No.” A whisper this time. You caught Kita’s slight smirk.</p><p>Kita handed you the pile of homework, neatly placing them before you. “Here,” he offered. “Please review my comments regarding these sections,” he requested, gracefully moving the tip of his finger across the paper. The microscopic movement unleashed a herd of butterflies in your gut. You swallowed hard, nodding. “Uh huh.”<br/>Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Kita’s eyes now on you, attempting to catch your glance. He stayed like this for a while, and you weren’t sure how to act. At last, you raised your chin to return his gaze.</p><p>He had a look of intensity in his eyes. Longing. Despair and concern. You parted your lips slightly, as if you were to say something. When no sound left your mouth, Kita returned to examining the papers.</p><p>“Also, your maths homework really needs some polishing.”</p><p>Whatever ghost of a smile you carried on your lips vanished. Your eyes narrowed. “Are we really surprised?” you asked, earning a soft scoff from Kita. </p><p>“I think that you underestimate yourself, Y/N,” he stated. </p><p>The sweet, encouraging moment was interrupted by your teacher, rising from his seat. A brutal yawn formed on his lips, as he made a rather peculiar, inhuman sound. You squeezed your eyes shut, desperately holding back the laughter threatening to come out. Kita apparently noticed the small action, shooting you a warning glare. </p><p>“Well, kids,” your teacher said, stretching in place. “You seem to have it all under control here. Mind waitin’ while I fetch myself a cup o’ coffee?” </p><p>You gulped. Kita nodded, “Of course not, sir. Take your time.”</p><p>The teacher flashed the two of you an appreciating smile, as he stepped out of the classroom. Kita watched him leave, step by step, breath by breath. Upon hearing the door closing, your best friend finally turned to you. He was visibly eager to tell you something, and you truly dreaded whatever it was. </p><p>“We never got to finish our conversation yesterday, Y/N,” he recalled, watching you intently. You raised your brows, acting as nonchalant as you possibly could. “Yeah … We didn’t.”</p><p>Kita looked down. “It’s a shame. We never really get many chances to speak in private anymore, do we?” he asked, waiting for your agreement. You faced him, giving a subtle nod. </p><p>“I enjoy talking to you, Y/N. I really wish we could spend more time together.” He tilted his head to the side. You furrowed your eyebrows.</p><p>“I enjoy talking to you, too,” you responded. He smiled slightly, raising his gaze to the window before him. “I have a proposal … Perhaps it’s crazy but …”</p><p>You cocked your head to the side. “Huh?” you asked. Once again, your heartbeat had taken a firm pace.</p><p>“You aren’t in any clubs yet, are you, Y/N?” he asked, causing you to shake your head. “No. They all seem to suck. I’d rather spend my time at home.”</p><p>Kita chuckled. “As sad as that is,” he teased, pulling a dry scoff from you, “I think that I’ve found the perfect one for you.”</p><p>Your eyebrows knitted together. “You’re starting to act like my grandmother, Kita.”</p><p>His nostrils flared as he exhaled. Kita’s dark eyes met yours, as an unspoken connection between the two of you lit up. “I think you should join our volleyball club,” he began, as your eyes shot open. “- as our manager.”</p><p>You’d be lying should you claim that the thought of being manager for Inarizaki’s Volleyball Team never crossed your mind. But hell, never would you ever had expected anyone, particularly Kita to offer you the position.</p><p>“I-” you murmured, lowering your head. Then, he did something that almost, -almost-, caused you to explode.</p><p>Kita placed a gentle, quite large hand on yours, resting on the table. “It’d be great, Y/N. Not only would this benefit your merits, but you and I could become as close as we once were.”</p><p>He gave your hand a soft squeeze. ‘As we once were’. You scoffed softly. His words painted your friendship as if it were a bar like those in video games, one that would go up and down, depending on how much attention it was given. As if the bar representing your friendship had gone down, and needed to be refilled. It was a kind thought, sure. But all you could visualize in your head was the fact that once the bar was filled, that was it. It had been once before, and you’d merely been close friends. </p><p>“That…” you breathed, “Sounds like an amazing idea.”</p><p>Kita smiled gently, the upturned corners on his lips penetrating your heart with daggers.</p><p>“I’ll make sure to arrange your enrollment in the club as soon as possible then, assuming that you want to join?” he asked. You nodded, flashing him a faux smile. “Sure I do.”</p><p>He seemed warily excited, even though he didn’t show it. “This’ll be great. I’ve been wanting to talk to you regarding this all day, Y/N,” he claimed, stroking your hand with his thumb. The sensation caused shivers to spread on your skin, as the hair on your arms stood up in anticipation.</p><p>“I just couldn’t catch you during classes. But now,” he said, hand moving upwards from your own, reaching your forearm. Disappointment spread through you as he stopped there. “Now we’ll finally be able to attain proper quality time together again.”</p><p>You could’ve sworn that he was inching closer. What game was he playing? Confessing his love for another girl, yet still for some reason being desperate to spend more time with you? You sat, frozen in your seat as he reached closer and closer. Was he going to … </p><p>“Will you help me, Y/N,” he requested, his face so close to yours that you could smell his minty breath strike your face, “To get closer to Kamiyama-san?”</p><p>Once again, the world stopped. Whatever thrill you’d obtained from the moment of intimacy was blown away. Kita really was oblivious, wasn’t he? You were quick to back away from him again. He raised his brows.</p><p>Following a deep, very deep breath you took, you forced your lips to curve into a reassuring smile. “Sure I will, Kita-san.”</p><p>You gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder as he inched back again, traces of confusion in his features. As you turned back to your papers, Kita mirrored your actions, only a few seconds delayed. You noticed a recurring glance from him every now and then; but you were too occupied with your thoughts to pay any notice to it.</p><p>A heavy, gray cloud hung over you. An unbearing weight, realizing that you were plagued by a dilemma. Were you to help the boy you loved to achieve the affection of another; your best friend? Where others would have perhaps seen only two options, help or don’t help, you saw an infinite supply of alternatives. Help, refuse, sabotage, or confess. It wasn’t a question of your abilities as a wingman, but a test of your sense of morals.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry that this chapter sucks lmao. i just wanted to update it as soon as possible, as i want this story to progress as quickly as it can.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. CHAPTER EIGHT</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>you attend your first practice as the manager of inarizaki's volleyball team.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“GOOD JOB, MIYA!” shouted Coach Norimune, very pleased by Osamu’s perfect spike. The sound of the volleyball striking the ground echoed through the gym. You were left wide-eyed, watching Osamu as his feet met the floor once again. Once again, you found yourself at one of Inarizaki’s volleyball practices, only this time you carried the manager title with pride. A few days had passed since your last meeting with Kita. He apparently wasn’t kidding when he proposed that you become the manager, as he was very quick with organizing an application for you. Next thing you know, you were standing by Coach Norimune, observing the practice game, making sure that water bottles were filled and that balls were in supply.</p><p>As the game took its course, the Coach sighed, seating himself on the bench again. You dared to cast a glance at him, surprised by the ghosting smirk on his lips. </p><p>“What do you think, Y/N-chan, are these fellows ready for nationals yet?” he asked, sparing you the intensity of eye contact. You purse your lips, once again turning your head to the players.</p><p>Your gaze traveled through the boys, quickly analyzing them. “They’re very talented, that’s for sure,” you stated. “Although perhaps a change in attitude for -some- players wouldn’t hurt.”</p><p>The coach laughed gleefully. “I assume that you mean Atsumu-kun.”</p><p>You echoed the sound, feeling quite proud that you made the coach laugh. He took a deep breath. “You’re right, in any way. While feelin’ confident in your abilities and relations is good, bein’ open to change is always important.”</p><p> </p><p>For some reason, the words tore at your heart. You listened, awaiting for him to continue.</p><p>“Livin’ a certain way for an extended period of time works for some. But eventually, whether you like it or not, you’ll be a rotten’ caterpillar in a rotten cocoon.” He corrected the spectacles he carried on the bridge of his nose, straightening his posture. </p><p>“While everyone’s so busy thinkin’ about changin’ the world, no one ever thinks of changin’ themselves.”</p><p>You stared, eyes widened straight at the floor. He was right, and you knew it. Even though he wasn’t actually talking about you and Kita, you took his words very personally. You couldn’t stay locked in this cocoon forever - eventually, you would have to tell Kita about your feelings. You sighed mentally. Was Coach Norimune the personification of the universe, physically coming down here to tell you that you need to get your shit together? Perhaps. Or perhaps your thoughts were wildly exaggerated. </p><p>“What about him?” asked the coach, nodding at a certain white haired captain on the court. You turned, facing Kita as you swallowed hard. “Kita-san? He’s … uhm, very good.”</p><p>Norimune considered your statement. “Yeah … he is, isn’t he?”</p><p>You nodded rigidly, not exactly sure of what to say. </p><p>“He always takes my advice,” the coach reminisced, “Never complains about the constructive criticism I offer him.” </p><p>Norimune nodded to himself, gaze glued to the captain. “The dream qualities in a player, am I right?” he chuckled. </p><p>A dream player, indeed. </p><p>AS THE PRACTICE MET ITS END, you stayed behind to help Kita clean up. The two of you were now alone in the quiet gym, placing the balls in their bags, mopping the floor, putting away towels. The only reason you’d actually stayed (besides from being with Kita), was because you were waiting for Yuna to come and pick you up. She played setter in the girl’s team, and her practice was apparently running late. You two had plans to sleep over at her house tonight, and you were honestly beyond excited to get to unwind after a stressful week.</p><p>The musty smell of sweat and rubber had settled in your nose by the time you and Kita were finished. You took a breath of relief as you strutted down the few steps, finally exiting the enclosed gym. Nightfall was upon you, leaving only the moon and stars to enlighten the sky. Kita stepped down behind you.</p><p>“So,” he said, causing you to turn. You pursed your lips, “So…?”</p><p>He smiled slightly, mischievously. “What are your plans for the weekend?” he asked nonchalantly, as if the question didn’t cause you an unnerving amount of stress. You raised your brows. </p><p>“Oh, well uhm…” you murmured, noticing Kita’s confused expression from underneath your lashes. “Nothing much.”</p><p>Kita nodded, lowering his chin. Just as you thought that you had dodged a bullet, that very bullet bounced off the wall, penetrating the back of your neck.</p><p>“Y/N!” exclaimed a glee, rather feminine voice from behind. You tried to suppress the infinite waves of anxiety washing over you, as you turned to face your old friend. <br/>“Yuna…!” you shot back, eyeing the running girl. She flashed you a bright smile, pulling you into a tight embrace as soon as you were in reach.</p><p>You hugged her back of course, taking the time of the precious affection to figure out a plan. </p><p>Yuna pulled away, still possessing a firm, yet gentle hold of your shoulders. Your eyes wandered all over your friend, all from her solid thighs, to her thick waist, charming, round apple cheeks, her short, raven hair that glimmered beneath the moonlight, and her eyes. Yuna’s eyes were practically carved out of the purest bar of obsidian. Dark, yet so enlightening. A portal, an entrance to the richest void in existence. One that you had now fallen into, one that requires great effort to emerge from.</p><p>“Y/N?” asked Yuna at last. You shook your head, finally returning to reality. You idiot. Stop staring.</p><p>“Yes!” you exclaimed, meeting the night sky eyes of your friend. She smiled softly. Her cheeks radiated of pale pink, most likely caused by the cold. </p><p>Yuna tilted, catching a glance of the boy behind you. “Kita-san!” she announced, taking a step to the side to get a good look at him. </p><p>You were unsure of how Kita was going to react. He was in love with this girl. You’d never seen him interact with someone whom he felt these emotions for, at least not what you knew of. Was he going to stumble over his words, become flustered by every movement of hers, blush until he resembled a cherry? You squinted, thoroughly analyzing the pair as they interacted.</p><p>“Hello, Kamiyama-san,” greeted Kita, bowing out of politeness. Yuna flashed him a soft smile before nodding her head. </p><p>“How was practice?” she asked, her eyes curious, wide. Kita gulped before answering the question. “It was rough, but given the fact that we’ll be going to nationals soon, it will all be worth it.”</p><p>Yuna nodded. A glimpse of melancholia flashed in her eyes. “Oh, right!”</p><p>Inarizaki’s girls’ team unfortunately hadn’t qualified for nationals, you suddenly recalled. Apparently, Kita did too as a cherry red tint formed on his cheeks. The Captain looked down in shame.</p><p>“Sorry…” he apologized. Huh. Interesting. There was a nervous edge to Kita as he spoke to Yuna, but hey. It was nothing compared to the absolute clown you acted like sometimes when you were with Kita.</p><p>The corners of Yuna’s lips curved. “It’s okay. I know my team’s worth. We are strong, just like you.”</p><p>Yuna’s optimism would never fail to surprise you. Kita raised his chin, eyes wide. Soon enough, her happy features were reflected on his.</p><p>You swallowed. “Oh, damn,” you breathed, “It’s getting kind of cold out here, isn’t it?” You shuddered, a cloud of smoke leaving your lips as the heat of your breath met the chill in the air. Yuna rubbed your arm, “Perhaps we should get going, then?” she suggested, which you were beyond grateful for. </p><p>You nodded, and before Yuna could turn you around, you caught Kita’s gaze. His expression was … debatable. Was he sad? Ashamed? Happy? Perhaps a mix of all three. But you recognized the spark shining in his eye. The unspoken bond between you told you all you needed to know.</p><p>You offered him a discreet nod, as if to say, “I’ll speak to her, don’t worry.”</p><p>The sigh of relief that left his lips seemed to say, “Thank you, Y/N-san. You’re a lifesaver.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. CHAPTER NINE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>you sleep over at yuna's house, making rather painful arrangements.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>THE NIGHT YOU HAD SPENT WITH YUNA HAD PROVEN TO BE A SUCCESS.</p><p>Ever since you arrived at her house, endless waves of serotonin had released into your brain. The two of you had practically organized a movie sleepover, with your favorite snacks and drinks, self care, face masks, everything. Not a single hour had passed by without the echoes of your laughter. And now, the full moon stood high on the midnight sky, as the two of you were peacefully viewing it. </p><p>You had been on your backs on the roof of Yuna’s house for quite a while now, but never seemed to tire of your view. The ancient celestial bodies hugged you with its radiance, its warmth. There was no concern in the world, only the two of you. Even the chilly air seemed to leave you unbothered. </p><p>“Y/N?”</p><p>You tilted your head backwards, getting a glimpse of Yuna whose head was colliding with yours on the floor. “Hm?” You raised your brows.</p><p>“Do you believe in soulmates?” A simple question. </p><p>You inhaled sharply. “In what context?”</p><p>Yuna laughed soundly at your response. “Why do you always need to complicate everything, Y/N?” she criticised, leaving your brows raised. “It’s a simple question! Yes or no?”</p><p>You hesitated. Did you believe in soulmates? “No.”</p><p>Given your position, you were blind to Yuna’s reaction. All you heard was her scoff. “Really?”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“So you don’t think that there’s anyone out there for you?” The question was echoed by a sweet chuckle, one that you didn’t return.</p><p>You blew out a breath. “I used to. But the universe just has its way of proving me wrong all of the goddamn time.”</p><p>Silence. Not a single sound in the world could be heard - let alone your own breath.</p><p>“That sounds … depressing,” Yuna breathed. You chuckled lightly. “Tell me about it.”</p><p>Yuna sat up suddenly, looking straight at you from her position. “I sometimes wonder … in moments like these, when I’m just doing stuff like … ” She pointed at the silver moon, right above your heads. “Like lookin’ at the moon, is my soulmate out there, or whoever I’m gonna end up with doing the exact same thing?”</p><p>You considered her words. You had believed in soulmates once before. And you had wondered that exact same question. Doing simple stuff like drinking water, stargazing, drawing … you’d be lying should you claim that the question of whether Kita was doing the same thing had never crossed your mind. </p><p>“Yeah… That’s a good thought.” </p><p>Yuna nodded frantically, “Right?!”</p><p>You laughed. It was the last sound for a while. </p><p>You pondered over whether to ask her about him. Was it inappropriate? Maybe you should wait until another time when-</p><p>“What do you think of Kita-san?” you blurted out. Boy, the late hour must’ve gotten to your head. Your heart raced faster than a shooting star as you awaited her answer.</p><p>“He’s cute. I like him.” Yuna got on her back once again, so that the tip of your heads were near touching. You nodded, not sure of whether to be relieved or disappointed. </p><p>“You know … I think that he feels like that about you, too, Yuna,” you said, low enough that it was practically a silent whisper. But she had heard you.</p><p>Yuna hesitated before answering. “Really? You think so?”</p><p>You nodded, licking your lips. “Mhm.”</p><p>Yuna chuckled gleefully. “Wow … that’s so …”</p><p>“Would you want to go out with him sometime?” Yet another hasty question, one that wasn’t even yours to ask. But for some reason, you were starting to feel nauseous at this moment. As if you just wanted it to be over. But this was good, wasn’t it? Maybe you should consider this as an opportunity to get over Kita. </p><p>“Wait, really?!” Yuna’s voice was a thousand times stronger than yours, as she was probably riding out her sugar rush at this moment. You nodded. “Tomorrow, maybe? At that cute café by the plaza, you know?”</p><p>Yuna blew out a surprised breath. “B-but, does he even know about this??”</p><p>You swallowed hard. “Yuna. He would literally shove Atsumu off a bridge to get a date with you.”</p><p>Why must you hurt yourself with these words…</p><p>Yuna laughed again. “Are you sure?”</p><p>You took a deep, shaky breath. “Yes, of course. I’ll make sure that he gets the memo.”</p><p>The rest of the evening, or well, the night was spent talking to Yuna. Or rather, she spoke to you about Kita while you remained silent. The realization of the fact that you had just organized a date with Kita began to sink in. And the additional fact that you weren’t going to be the one to attend the date had already made its mark on your soul.</p><p>Perhaps soulmates did exist. And perhaps you were destined to live and die alone.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>short chapter; i'll update soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. CHAPTER TEN</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>inarizaki heads off to nationals!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>QUITE A BIT OF TIME LATER, TIME HAD COME FOR VOLLEYBALL NATIONALS.</p><p>It hadn’t been too long since Yuna and Kita had gone on their date, yet you somehow didn’t bestow so much as a hunch regarding how it had gone. Honestly, this was the most stressful time of the year and you couldn’t bring yourself to get so involved in their lives, you remained focused on school, as well as dreading the coming tournament. </p><p>With heavy eyelids, you glanced down at your phone. 6.06 AM. It was far too early for your personal liking, especially when surrounded by a bunch of teenage volleyball players acting like children. Your eyes were glued to the rising sun, peeking up above the bus you were to take. The fatigue you felt greatly assisted with drowning out Osamu and Atsumu, who were busy spraying water on each other. </p><p>“Alright,” announced Coach Norimune, clapping his hands together. “Cut it off, you two. It’s way too early for your shenanigans.”</p><p>You were unable to prevent the smirk your lips perked into. The twins shamefully lowered their heads, still showcasing the grim death stares aimed at each other. Norimune gave a firm nod. </p><p>“There ain’t no way that you two are sittin’ next to each other on the bus.” As the coach turned to you, sparkles glimmering in his eyes, you were quick to predict the following events. “Y/N.”</p><p>You chuckled dryly as your head shook frantically, “No, no. Absolutely not.” </p><p>“Pah!” exclaimed Atsumu. “Rude!”</p><p>You turned to the faux blonde, rage flickering in his eyes. The sight made it hard not to burst into laughter. You licked your lips, followed by a deep breath as you collected yourself. At least they parts that had managed to stay awake-</p><p>“It’s nothing personal, Miya.” The twins raised a brow simultaneously, awaiting for you to state your reason. Your gaze wandered from the maple of his eyes to the quartz of Osamu’s. You scratched the back of your head. “Except it is.”</p><p>Low chuckles spread throughout the players. Atsumu was obviously offended, gasping dramatically as if he were in a play. Osamu remained puzzled, ashy brows high in his forehead.</p><p>“You two are not the only ones who have to stay awake the whole day today, y’know. If I wanted to spend the trip listening to loud chewing, arguing and leaking headphones, then trust me. I wouldn’t hesitate to come to you.”</p><p>Atsumu let out a growling like sound. Osamu blinked, surprisingly long lashes fluttering. “Really?”<br/>The blonde struck down on the back of Osamu’s head with a closed fist. “You idiot! That wasn’t a compliment!”</p><p>Once again, their interactions had taken a violent turn. Coach Norimune only sighed, as if the exchange between the two was an everyday occurrence. Well, to be fair. It was. </p><p>“Very well,” he breathed. “You’ll be next to Kita, then.”</p><p>Your smile faded quicker than ever before. As your world stopped, the coach continued to share announcements with the team. Whatever he said was soon drowned out. A loud, constant, high pitched sound rang in your ears. Shit, shit, shit. If it came down to spending a few hours next to Atsumu or Kita, you’d be sprinting to the nearest convenience store at this moment, buying ear plugs. </p><p>Your heavy breathing was ragged. Flexing your clammy fingers, you cursed the universe internally. </p><p>Damn you, universe. It was as if the two of you were bound by a red string, pulling you back to each other every time you grew apart. </p><p>“Alright, you brats!” The Coach announced, “Get on the damn bus before I make you run all the way there!”</p><p>The teammates began to board the bus. Your heart raced, beating as a galloping horse’s hooves. It just struck you that you hadn’t actually seen Kita today, greeted him, you hadn’t exchanged interactions in any way. Great. That would make the trip -that- much better.</p><p>As you headed to the steps by the entrance to the bus, you didn’t fail to see the grim smirk on the Coach’s face. That son of a bitch. He knew what he was doing. You gulped, making your way up the steps. Slowly, you passed through the narrow aisle, eyeing the filled rows. Almost every seat was occupied, every player had a teammate to sit next to. Your eyes wandered across the players slowly, searching for your mate. </p><p>At last, you found him. The quiet, mysterious captain at the very back of the bus. The brown of his irises carried a golden, honeylike tint. The rising sun caused the white of his hair to appear more yellow, like buttermilk or hazel wood. His dull eyes were the only visible part of his face, as his mouth, nose and cheeks were all covered by the white mask he wore. Kita appeared ethereal in your eyes. In this angle, at this moment. The way his head rested against the window, the way the shadows of his lashes rested beneath his eyes. </p><p>“Hello, Y/N.”</p><p>The way he said your name … It was practically a key, a golden, rusty key unlocking a grand cage of butterflies in your gut. You had a feeling that Kita knew exactly what he was doing. You sunk down beside him.</p><p>“Kita,” you greeted. You two sat on the seats beside each other, packed close to each other. Somehow, the rows were broad yet the seats were impossibly close to each other. Your stare remained on the back of the seat before you, his remained on you. </p><p>You had no idea what to do next. Do you start a conversation? Will he? Do you just wait for him to get back to staring at the window again? You caught yourself overthinking. You let out a breath, a quick sigh. He’s just a human being. Like you. More than that, he’s your friend.</p><p>Kita was still staring shamelessly at you a few seconds later. This was when the panic within you began to rise. You had to speak, and you had to do it now. </p><p> </p><p>“So!” you exclaimed, harshly slamming your hands on your thighs. You bravely turned to Kita, only now realizing how close the two of you actually were. Your noses were inches away from each other. The scent of lemon soap, of fresh peppermints was so strong, you could practically feel it on your skin. As he gazed into your eyes, and you into his, something within you awoke. Something that you constantly tried to suppress. </p><p>You raised your brows. “How was your date with Yuna…?” you asked, cautiously picking your words. At last, Kita looked away from you. You were disappointed at the same time as you were relieved. The intensity had been much to handle, but it had been thrilling, exciting at the same time. </p><p>“I enjoyed myself very much,” he said. Kita’s voice was low, quiet. You recognized that tone. He was pondering over something. He was upset. But you debated on whether you possessed the authority to ask about it.</p><p>Kita nodded slightly. “She must have, as well, considering that she asked me out again.”</p><p>Your eyes widened. Slowly, you nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. You deserve someone like her, Kita.”</p><p>Again, his head turned. Again, he stared at you. Even though you gravely lacked the courage, you met his gaze. There was longing in his eyes. Sadness. You forced a soft smile on your lips. </p><p>The coming few days were not going to be easy.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. CHAPTER ELEVEN</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>YOU STEPPED INTO THE MAIN ARENA, BREATHING IN THE FRESH, RUBBERY AIR.</p><p>A day or two had passed since Inarizaki’s volleyball club had arrived here in Tokyo, and you had all settled in pretty quickly. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far, Atsumu and Osamu were still bickering like little children, Suna’s sage eyes were glued to his phone, and Kita was … well, Kita. </p><p>Now the time had finally come for their first match in the volleyball nationals tournament, and you’d be lying should you claim that you weren’t bubbling with nervous excitement. Inarizaki was up against a team called Karasuno today, a former powerhouse school that had somehow managed to regain credibility. You didn’t know much about them, other than the miraculous two first year capable of executing a ‘lethal quick’.</p><p>You waited for Norimune to finish his pre-game pep talk with the team, standing a few meters away from them. Your hands were in your pockets as you stared out over the grand arena. The ceiling lights were twinkling, blinding. You couldn’t stare at them without squinting. Your gaze wandered over the many courts residing in the center of the arena, teams from all around the country playing on each one. You felt so mesmerized by it, all of it, that you failed to hear when Coach Norimune called you the first time.</p><p>“Earth to Y/N.”</p><p>It felt as if you were in a deep slumber, and he was violently shaking your shoulders when you were dragged out of your daydreaming. Your eyelashes fluttered as you turned to the Coach, “Hm? Yes, I’m sorry.”</p><p>He raised a brow, eyeing you up and down as if you were a complete idiot. “I asked you if you could refill the gallon with water. Warmups will start soon.”</p><p>Mildly embarrassed, you nodded frequently. “No problem. I’ll be right back.” You scooped up the empty gallon, and quickly stalked away from the others. The fact that you didn’t ask about further instructions, such as what court they would be playing at, would later prove to be a big mistake.</p><p>THE GALLON WAS FILLED. YOU WERE LOST.</p><p>A pathetic ten minutes had passed since you had parted from the team. And now, you didn’t have the slightest idea of how you were to navigate yourself through this enigmatic maze full of volleyballs and musty players. </p><p>After absent-midnedly strutting around for a few minutes, you gave up, stopping in the middle of a hallway. With a heavy sigh, you pulled your phone from the pocket of your hoodie. You pursed your lips, taking a second to ponder over who to text regarding this mildly … embarrassing situation. At last, you decided on Suna. The day he wasn’t on his phone would be the day you confessed your true feelings to Kita.</p><p>That thought alone created a heating sensation in your cheeks.</p><p>[L/N F/N - 10.45 AM]<br/>
suna i’m lost</p><p>[L/N F/N - 10.45 AM]<br/>
dude please help me </p><p>[L/N F/N - 10.45 AM]<br/>
suna???</p><p>Dammit. The fact that Suna wasn’t reliable in a situation like this made you rethink your entire life. You grunted, staring hopelessly at your phone. Then, you overheard something behind you that caught your interest.</p><p>A few voices from behind, all distressed.</p><p>“MY SHOES! THEY’RE GONE!” The voice sounded like a preteen boy, slightly high pitched with a quite deep undertone. “HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PLAY WITHOUT THEM?!”</p><p>You raised your brows. Sure, you were lost, but this guy had no shoes before a volleyball game. Damn. Eye-opening, wasn’t it?</p><p>“Please, Hinata. You need to calm down-” Another voice. Lighter, more harmonic. You turned slightly, realizing that it belonged to a boy with pine-green hair. Before him, an erratic boy with carrot tinted hair walked back and forth. You had to squint in order to see the name that was printed on their indigo- and orange jerseys. Karasuno.</p><p>Another person spoke, a girl this time. She had raven, silky hair that shone like melted rhinestones in the light. Rectangular spectacles sat at the bridge of her nose, perfectly framing her face. “Hinata-kun. It will be alright, just please, get a hold of  yourself.”</p><p>The ginger, ‘Hinata’, crouched down. “I CAN’T BE CALM!” He let a furious scream escape his lips, one that was most likely rooted right in his guts. You turned back to your phone, attempting to suppress your laugh. Hinata continued to scream and complain as you noticed yet another figure approaching you. Only this time, it wasn’t a stranger.</p><p>“Y/N?” Kita’s voice was slick, like water over a dark rock.</p><p>You instantly lifted your chin. “Kita?”</p><p>At first, he looked at you. It was hard to comprehend what was going on, given Hinata’s loudness from behind you. Soon enough, Kita’s eyes widened as he extended his arm out towards you, “Watch out!”</p><p>You furrowed your eyebrows before turning as much as you could. Whatever happened next, happened in a heartbeat. A crackling whip of thunder. A spike of a volleyball.</p><p>Hinata had begun to step back furiously, obviously not noticing the fact that you were just behind him, even despite the absolutely terrified expressions of his friends. He backed right into you with so much force, you instantly stumbled back.</p><p>As the world slowed down, you tried (and failed), to regain your balance. You watched as Hinata turned, cheeks as flustered as a daylily, apologetic and regretful sparks shimmering in his hazelnut eyes.</p><p>Your eyes were twice as wide as his were, as you slowly but surely continued your venture backwards.</p><p>Straight into Kita’s arms. </p><p>Your body was no longer able to function properly. Every single ounce of blood in your body had rushed to your face, your cheeks and forehead. Kita held you firmly, with his arms looped underneath your hollows. You kept forgetting how strong he actually was.</p><p>You caught a glance of his hands, holding you hard, yet gently. Such elegance, even though it was nothing but a pair of hands. His fingers were long, slender and graceful. A few veins traced along the backside of his palm, now even more noticeable than usual because of the physical effort. Your heart beat inhumanely fast. Your nerves tingled by the sheer excitement of being touched by him. Several seconds passed, and you were still in his arms. </p><p>“Are you okay?” His question was but a breath, a whisper to your ear. A shiver shot down your spine. You offered him a strained nod.</p><p>Hinata bowed in an instant. “I am so very super incredibly sorry!”</p><p>Kita assisted you back up to your feet by pushing his own body against yours. It took you a second to find your balance, but even as you were once again your own body, separated from his, you could still feel the heat radiating from him. </p><p>You and Kita stood shoulder to shoulder as Hinata’s friends approached him. A boy you hadn’t seen earlier was now there. He was of average height, with silvery ash hair and a gentle face. A smile pushed itself on his lips.</p><p>“On behalf of my friend, I would very much like to apologize.” His voice was the most soothing thing you had ever heard. Every word he spoke was like a lullaby by itself.</p><p>The cloud haired boy pressed a posed hand to his chest, covering the print that said ‘Karasuno’. “I am Sugawara Koushi, and this right here is Hinata Shoyo.”</p><p>Your gaze turned to the blushing ginger, now kept in a friendly embrace by Sugawara. “It’s alright, really.”</p><p>The girl and pine-haired boy stepped up next to Hinata and Sugawara, who took the initiative to introduce them as well. “Yamaguchi Tadashi and Kiyoko Shimizu, our manager.”</p><p>You met eyes with the onyx of Kiyoko's. “Ah! Another manager. I’ve been waiting to meet one all day.” Your statement was true, yet a lame attempt of getting rid of your embarrassment. Kiyoko bowed. “It’s nice to meet you.” </p><p>You offered her a stern nod. “You too.”</p><p>Sugawara stared shamelessly at Kita, more so his jersey. “Inarizaki?”</p><p>Kita glanced down at the black jersey before nodding. “That’s right,” he pointed at Sugawara, “Karasuno?”</p><p>Sugawara’s lips turned into a sweet-like-honey smile. “Yup. I’m excited for our game.”</p><p>Surprisingly, Kita mirrored the smile. “As am I.”</p><p>“We never caught your names,” stated Kiyoko. </p><p>Your brows raised, “Oh, uhm … I’m Y/N, and this is Kita Shinsuke.”</p><p>Kita bowed, “It’s nice to meet you all.”</p><p>Sugawara rubbed his chin, intently staring at you and Kita. “Hm. So managers -are- allowed to date the players?” He chuckled a jolly laugh, “Tanaka and Noya will be overjoyed.”</p><p>Your eyes widened. You did not dare to catch a glance of Kita, your gaze remained at Sugawara. </p><p>You thanked whatever force was responsible for Coach Norimune showing up behind you and Kita. “Oi! What are you two brats doing?”</p><p>A relieved sigh left your lips, as you bid your farewell to the players of Karasuno. “Good luck. We’ll see you at the court,” said Kita, right before the two of you turned around to leave the scene. “I hope you find your shoes!” you shouted after Hinata.</p><p>All you could think about was the warm feeling of his chest pressed against your back. His cool breath striking your neck and ear. His mesmerizing scent, creeping its way all across your skin. And what Sugawara said … did you and Kita really come off as a couple?</p><p>As the two of you had finally reached the court, Kita rolled his shoulders before heading out there, warming up before their game with Karasuno. You felt obligated to say, -do- something, so you approached him from behind. </p><p>“You okay?” you asked harmlessly. Kita didn’t look at you when he nodded. You reflected the action pursing your lips as you bobbed your head up and down. Your hand found its way to Kita’s shoulder, gently patting it twice before settling it on the bundle of muscles. </p><p>“Win for me, alright?” you requested, your brows firmly pressed together. You almost got heart palpitations when he turned to you, smirk glowing brightly on his face like a shining star. Your eyes widened.</p><p>Kita gripped your elbow, hastily leaning closer to you before planting a gentle, friendly kiss on your now heated cheek. He pulled away before you took another breath. That stoic smirk hadn’t been wiped off after the kiss.<br/>
“On your behalf, I wish myself the best of luck.”</p><p>Your palm was gently pressed against your cheek, still feeling the heat of the soft kiss at that particular spot. </p><p>There was no denying that despite Inarizaki’s loss, Kita played the best game of his life that day.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. CHAPTER TWELVE</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>INARIZAKI HAD LOST IN THEIR FIRST ROUND. </p><p>You hadn’t been granted an opportunity to speak to any of the players since their game, and honestly, you didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing. You’d been waiting with Coach Norimune by the entrance to the arena, awaiting the players to finish showering and changing.</p><p>The rather heated chain of events before the game still vividly resided within your eyelids. Everytime you close your eyes, you are there again. In Kita’s strong arms, the heat of his breath in your ear sending endless waves of shivers down your spine. The thrust of his hips into yours, the way he so casually, so torturously spoke your name. You forbade yourself from thinking of the fluttered kiss he’d planted on your cheek for so much as a second. No, that was off limits.</p><p>Did he know what he was doing? Was he well aware of your feelings? Either that, and Kita is a sadistic, cheeky figure who enjoyed to torture you in this way, or he was by far the dumbest man on earth. You sighed audibly, forgetting completely about Coach Norimune’s presence. He sent a confused glance your way, to which you responded with a faux smile and flustered face.</p><p>Kita is stupid. All of him is. His face is stupid. His voice is stupid. His hands - his stupid, enormous, graceful hands. The stupidly defined veins beneath his rough knuckles, as illuminated on his hand as the brightest star in a night as dark as coal. They really are the most stupid part of him. The way he would use them to graze your skin with a feather-light touch, sliding up your bare thigh slowly, roughly. The eye contact he would hold - force you to hold. The considerable brown of his eye glazing with ruthlessness, danger and lust. Grabbing your chin with his other, stupid hand, every bit defined as the other, forcing you to hold his stare. Inching closer, closer, until your lips are practically touching. His breath stinging your cheeks like eating a raw cranberry. His other hand moves up, closer, closer, closer-</p><p>“EARTH TO Y/N.”</p><p>You practically jumped out of your daydreaming upon hearing the sound of Norimune’s voice. It took a wide-eyed stare of your surroundings to understand that the players had emerged from the arena. None of them bothered to care, still sour from the recent game. You gulped, nodding at Norimune.</p><p>The Coach furrowed his brows slightly, before turning his head back to his team. “Alright, let’s head back.”</p><p>Before you knew it, everyone was on the move back to the bus behind you. The sun had begun to set now, casting a golden radiance upon the grand arena. With saddened eyes, you watched as the disappointed teammates all boarded the bus one by one. A light sigh left your lips.</p><p>Upon entering the bus, now standing in the aisle, your eyes scanned the rows. Depressed players filled them. Whoever sat by the window seats had their upset glares glued to the dirty glass. Whoever sat by the aisle ignored the world completely, not bothering to eat something following the intense game. </p><p>You sucked in a strained breath, now stepping on the carpeted floor of the bus. You moved smoothly through the aisle, desperate to get to the back of the bus as soon as possible. </p><p>There he sat. In the very last row of seats, a white-haired boy with a light turquoise mask covering his face leaning against the window. He must’ve not noticed you, and wisely, you decided to leave him alone for a bit. You practically collapsed on the seat opposite of his row, still looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.</p><p>Your eyes skimmed him. His hair, his distant eyes, his hands … </p><p>IT DIDN’T TAKE VERY LONG BEFORE YOU HAD REACHED THE GYMNASIUM AGAIN.</p><p>Even as the bus stopped before the grand building, the pessimistic mood haunted Inarizaki’s volleyball team. Everyone grabbed their things, making their way off the giant vehicle. You watched Kita as you stood again, and when he didn’t rise, you questioned whether to speak to him or not. </p><p>You licked your strawberry chapstick-covered lips. “... Are you coming?”</p><p>He didn’t turn when he hummed in response. “Mhm.”</p><p>You gave him a slight, understanding nod. One he didn’t see.</p><p>Coach Norimune was speaking to the team, inspiring words of their effort, maybe. You didn’t bother to listen. You stepped off the bus, with Kita coming in close behind you. Even he didn’t bother to rendezvous with his team, but stayed put about a meter or so behind you. The only thing you were able to comprehend from the corner of your eye was the fact that he crossed his muscular arms.</p><p>Soon enough, the team was on the move again. This time heading for the gymnasium. You expected to hear, feel, see Kita moving past you to follow his team - but no such thing happened. You forced yourself to turn, to see what was up.</p><p>“Kita?” </p><p>The Captain stared down into the ground. His eyes were empty. You shook your head, “Kita, are you alright?”</p><p>You didn’t deny the worried pitch in your voice. He raised his chin, pinning you with his gaze. That gleam in his eye was way too familiar. Rare, but familiar. He was disappointed.</p><p>You sighed heavily. “Come on,” you said, motioning for him to follow you as you stalked towards a lonely bench beneath a great oak tree. You heard faint footsteps behind you, as you reached your target area.</p><p>The colossal tree cast a grand shadow over the bench, its crown only allowing a select few golden rays of sunlight to squeeze through. You sunk down onto the park bench beneath you. Kita did the same.</p><p>For a moment, it was awkward. You didn’t deny that. Seconds, minutes passed and all either of you did was allow your gazes to mindlessly wander across your surroundings, while harshly avoiding the eyes of the other. Soon enough, the silence became too much to bear.</p><p>“You played great today.” Your praise managed to lift his chin. At last, your stares met.</p><p>Kita didn’t respond. He was forced to break eye contact. Yours stayed put.</p><p>You let out a breath, “I mean it.” Mindlessly, you pressed your pal on top of Kita’s, immediately feeling the vivid veins of his hands that you had spent so much time dreaming of. “I really do.”</p><p>Finally, he sighed. You had trouble telling whether it was of relief or pure disappointment. “We-” he began, collecting himself, “We are a powerhouse school. We have always been. Naturally, everyone expects such great things from us.”</p><p>He paused. There was something else he wanted to get off his chest. “From me. Is it really a coincidence that during my time as captain of such a strong, perfected team as Inarizaki, we lose to a powerless school from Miyagi?”</p><p>Your brows knit together as your heart sunk to your stomach. It crushed you, shattered your soul to see Kita this way. You squeezed his hand, managing to lift his chin with that movement alone.</p><p>“Powerless school?” Your nostrils flared as you chuckled dryly. “Karasuno is far from what they once were. They were weak, now they are strong.”</p><p>You held Kita’s attention. He never once looked away.</p><p>“You said that people expect great things from Inarizaki. But no one expected anything from Karasuno. People crave to prove their strength when the world spits at them and calls them weak.”</p><p>A searing light lit up between you two. A flash, perhaps. The clash of your souls.</p><p>You gulped, as you realized how much closer your noses were at this moment then when you’d first gotten here. “Inarizaki - You have proven your strength so many times over now,” Your words were merely a faint breath, the beat of your heart in the form of weak words. “And now, so have they.”</p><p>His tilted head leaned even closer to yours, separating your lips by only a few centimeters. “What does that mean for us?” His voice, no less of a breathing whisper than yours, was hot against your chin, your lips. You sensed the lingering scent of lemon candies, breathing it all in, getting drunk on it.</p><p>“Prove your strength,” A whisper followed by a shaky, breathless whimpering sound. “Prove why people expect great things from you.”</p><p>Kita trapped the edge of your chin between his index finger and thumb, nearly giving you heart palpitations. One moment, your gaze was intertwined with his, eyeing you closely. </p><p>The other, your eyes fluttered close as Kita’s lips met yours.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>sorry that it takes such a long time to update lmao, i just have a lot in school rn. anyways, thanks to everyone still patiently waiting for updates, i love y'all so damn much.</p><p>i also have a dabi fic that i wanna start working with, i'll most likely finish this story before that though, and start publishing chapters once i feel satisfied with fruits basket :))</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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